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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24314230">Your Biggest Fan</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofhyrule/pseuds/queenofhyrule'>queenofhyrule</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu and You!! (Reader x Character Short Stories) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Mutual Pining, Romance, You fulfill one of Noya's biggest wishes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:02:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,005</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24314230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofhyrule/pseuds/queenofhyrule</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the most important game Karasuno has ever played up until that point, and OF COURSE you didn't even make it there on time. Hopefully the surprise you had in store for your best friend would make up for being late. It was the one thing he always said he wanted to happen, so of course you took it upon yourself to do it. That's what best friends were for, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nishinoya Yuu/Reader, Nishinoya Yuu/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu and You!! (Reader x Character Short Stories) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>336</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rushing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Once again, I had a short lil one shot in mind and I created a monster. So much so that I've decided I'm just going to break it up into three parts! I wish I could make my brain write shorter things but once I start I apparently cannot stop!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His eyes scanned the crowd, skipping over the massive section of purple and white and going straight to the familiar orange and navy. He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t insanely nervous – they were only playing the most important game they had ever played against one of the best aces in the nation, after all – and he knew seeing your face would be the only thing that could reassure him. He needed to see that smile, the one that was meant for him and only him. The one that said <em> I know you’re going to wipe the floor with them, so go out there and do it. </em></p><p>“Where are you,” he muttered to himself as he scanned the Karasuno section. The unfamiliar faces blurred together until finally he spotted someone he knew. Tanaka’s sister, Saeko, was standing right at the front, next to Yachi and two of the guys from the Karasuno Neighborhood Association. But you were nowhere to be found.  </p><p>The cheers around him seemed to grow louder as his stomach dropped and disappointment flooded through him. His eyes swept across the crowd frantically a few more times before it really sunk in. <em> You weren’t here. </em></p><p>He jumped as a hand suddenly slapped his shoulder. Looking over, Tanaka gave him a large grin.</p><p>“You ready to show Shiratorizawa who’s boss, short stuff?”</p><p>His eyes flicked back over to the fan section, hoping that maybe you had magically appeared in the brief second he had looked away. The sting of disappointment hit again.</p><p>“Yo, Noya? You there?” Tanaka waved a hand in front of the libero’s face.</p><p>“Yeah,” he dragged his eyes away from the student section before giving Tanaka a half-hearted smile. “I was born ready!” He threw in a fist pump for good measure. Nishinoya was known for being a boisterous ball of energy, so he had appearances to keep up. If the team noticed that there was even a <em> chance </em> something was wrong with him.. well, he didn’t want that kind of energy surrounding the team during this extremely important game.</p><p>Tanaka wasn’t fooled though, and with one quick look at the crowd, he was able to figure out what was stopping the smile from reaching Nishinoya’s eyes.</p><p>“She’ll be here, bro. There’s no way she wouldn’t come to support you.”</p><p>Nishinoya’s face turned red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied. Tanaka raised an eyebrow, the grin returning to his face.</p><p>“Oh, so you’re not upset that your <em> girlfriend </em> isn’t out there in the crowd? That your <em> girlfriend </em> won’t be able to see you look super badass on the court? That your <em> girl- </em>OW!”</p><p>“She’s not my girlfriend!”   </p><p>Before Tanaka could respond, Daichi’s voice broke through the chants.</p><p>“Alright guys, huddle up!”</p><p>Tanaka gave his friend one more look before running to join the others. Nishinoya sighed, and started jumping up and down, shaking his arms as he did so. Shaking off the stress. Shaking off his nerves. Shaking off the extreme disappointment.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, he planted a large smile on his face and ran towards his team with his arms out. Hopping on the back of an unsuspecting Asahi, causing him to stumble forward, he let out a battle cry.</p><p>“Let’s do this!”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em> Shit! Shit shit shit! </em>
</p><p>The bus was so close, yet so far away. You ran as fast as you could, praying that you’d make it in time. You already missed the first bus and if you missed the second, you’d surely get to the game too late.</p><p>You reached the doors <em> just </em>as they were about to close. You managed to jump in and stumble up the steps before they closed shut with a quiet hiss. The driver glared at you, which you returned with a quick apology and a small bow before you made your way deeper into the bus. There were no seats available, so you squeezed in the small gap between two bored looking adults and grabbed on to the pole anchored between the floor and ceiling with one hand. The other went to your chest as you tried to catch your breath without sounding like an asthmatic cat.</p><p>You pulled out your phone to check the time, but were interrupted as it began to vibrate from an incoming phone call. You tapped the green phone icon on the screen, but before you were even able to get the phone to your ear, the person on the other end started talking.</p><p>“Where are you?? They’re about to begin!”</p><p>Your hand paused, holding the phone away from your ear as Saeko’s voice blasted through the speaker, almost drowned out by the loud cheering in the background.</p><p>“I missed… the first… bus,” you huffed out, still trying to catch your breath. You took a large gulp of air and managed to steady your breathing before continuing. “But no worries. I’m on the bus now, and I’ll be there in about half an hour.”</p><p>“You’re going to miss the first set!”</p><p>“Well it’s better than missing the whole thing!” You snapped. The people around you turned their heads to stare, no doubt wondering why in the world a phone conversation needed to be so loud. You gave the onlookers a sheepish smile and mouthed an apology.</p><p>“Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have let you go on your own! Why didn’t you just ride with me like the past two days?”</p><p>“I told you, there was something I needed to do before the game,” a small blush crept up your cheeks.</p><p>“And <em> why </em>couldn’t you have done it last night when you had all the time in the world?”</p><p>“Because!” You groaned. “Everything’s fine, Saeko, I’ll be there soon! Cheer extra loud for me, okay? Bye!” You hung up the phone before your friend could continue scolding you.</p><p>You shoved your phone back into your pocket and sighed. You were so angry with yourself for missing the first bus, which would lead to you missing part of the <em> most important </em> game. But as you looked down at the item in your hand, a warmth crept up your chest, and you knew wouldn’t regret it later.</p><p>
  <em> It’s Nishinoya’s stupid fault anyways! If he had been more organized I wouldn’t have struggled to find this stupid thing! </em>
</p><p>The reason you weren’t able to ride with Saeko to the game today, much to her disappointment, was because you had planned a surprise for your best friend. And the reason you couldn’t have done it the night before, like Saeko had so brilliantly suggested, was because said best friend had crashed in his room the second he got home from the intense game they played against Aobajohsai. And for the surprise, you needed to get something from his room. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had seen you take that thing, now would it?</p><p>So, you had to wait until this morning, when Karasuno was on the bus and on their way to Sendai. Once you were sure of that, you had gone to his house where his mother was already waiting for you like the angel she was. She let you in and you rushed upstairs, expecting to it to be a quick in-and-out ordeal. But once you entered his room, you knew it wouldn’t be as easy as you had hoped.</p><p>After twenty minutes of digging through the multiple piles of clothes (clean, you prayed) scattered around his room, you still had not managed to find it. When his mom came to give you a house key so you could lock the door when you left, you asked if she had any idea where it might be. She gave you a few possibilities and then left for work, leaving you alone to panic.</p><p>Finally, you managed to find it in the laundry room underneath <em> another </em> pile of his clothes.</p><p><em> Good lord, </em> you thought. <em> We wear a uniform five days a week, how many clothes can he possibly have?! </em></p><p>You stood atop the mountain of clothes holding the orange jersey triumphantly in the air, looking very much like that famous French painting, “Liberty Leading the People”. Though, finding the extra jersey had been a more impressive feat than the July Revolution in France honestly.</p><p>Deciding you would just change at the Gymnasium, you ran out of his house. Unfortunately, you missed the first bus due to this endeavor taking much longer than you anticipated.</p><p>So, that left you to where you were now. Anxiously tapping your foot as you kept checking the time on your phone, as if you could will the bus to move faster.</p><p><em> I really hope Nishinoya hasn’t noticed I’m not there </em> . Your heart dropped as you thought about it. <em> No, I’m sure he hasn’t. I’m not that important. </em></p><p>You laughed dryly to yourself. <em> As long as Kiyoko is there, he’ll be fine. </em></p><p>You tried to ignore the surge of jealousy you felt as you thought about Karasuno’s manager. Despite being absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, you knew that your best friend had a major crush on her. He and Tanaka made sure that the whole world knew, really.</p><p>
  <em> It’s fine. Not a big deal! Anyone with eyes would have a crush on her… If only Nishinoya didn’t have eyes. </em>
</p><p>You shook your head at that thought, eyes widening. <em> Okay, too much. Too much. </em></p><p>After what felt like an eternity, the bus finally came to a stop in front of the Sendai City Gymnasium. You were the first off the bus, running as fast as you could up the steps and into the building. You decided that you weren’t even going to bother changing and threw the jersey on over your shirt, which was luckily just a lightweight black t-shirt.</p><p>You forced yourself to slow down as you descended the stairs to where you knew your friends would be watching the game. God forbid you trip and break your leg.</p><p>“Hey!” You said breathlessly as you popped up between Saeko and Yachi, scaring the latter.</p><p>“Finally! I was just about to call you again, this time I wouldn’t have been nearly as nice,” Saeko frowned. But once she actually took your appearance in, specifically the orange jersey with a large number four in the center, a large grin spread across her face. “Oh my god. Are you wearing that pipsqueaks’s jersey?”</p><p>Normally, you would defend your friend when someone made fun of his height (it also hurt you, considering you were a few inches shorter than him), but Saeko had known Nishinoya almost as long as you. Since he and Tanaka were so close, she was no stranger. You knew that when she made fun of him, it came from a place of love.</p><p>You tried to ignore the heat rising to your face as you nodded. “Yeah, he’s always going on and on about how he’d die if a girl wore his jersey to a game. He’s been pretty annoying lately, so I thought I’d try it and see if he was serious.” You shrugged. “I’m probably not the girl he was hoping for but-”</p><p>“Sweetie, I think you’re <em> exactly </em> the girl he’s hoping for. Oh my god, I can’t wait until he sees you.”  </p><p>You just rolled your eyes and turned to the manager-in-training next to you. “What’d I miss? Catch me up, coach!”</p><p>Yachi’s eyes widened, clearly not liking the sudden pressure. “U-uh, we’re in the second set now. We lost the first, unfortunately.” You frowned, turning to the game. Your eyes immediately landed on Nishinoya, who was standing near the back with a scowl on his face. He clearly was not happy. And looking at the other players, you could tell he wasn’t alone.</p><p>“Not only is Shiratorizawa good, but their number one has an <em> insane </em> serve and spike. He’s left handed, which our guys aren’t used to. Everyone is struggling to receive his attacks, even Nishinoya,” Yachi sighed, sounding defeated. You hummed, biting your lip. Nishinoya was a fantastic libero, and you had yet to see something he couldn’t handle.</p><p>However, it wasn’t long before you witnessed the insane attack that Yachi had told you about. Shiratorizawa’s number one was almost unstoppable when he spiked the ball. He blasted through Karasuno’s blocks every time, leaving the players to scramble to try and receive it. As you watched, you could see the frustration growing amongst the team. While they were able to receive some of his attacks, it was clear the ball wasn’t going where they wanted.</p><p>You hoped that Nishinoya would look up into the stands and see you, see that you came to support him. You wanted so badly to give him an encouraging smile (well, that wasn’t <em> really </em> what you wanted to give him, but it’d have to do) to make him feel better. But he never did.</p><p>The tension continued to rise as the set went on. Karasuno couldn’t get more than a point ahead before Shiratorizawa would catch up. It was a constant back-and-forth battle, and it was frustrating to watch.</p><p>Karasuno was currently one point behind, sitting at 21. Saeko grabbed your arm with excitement as Tanaka received Shiratorizawa’s serve, and the excitement built as Kageyama set the ball beautifully into the air, allowing Tsukishima to send it over the net. It soared <em>just</em> <em>barely</em> over their red-headed blocker’s fingers and looked like it was going to land right in the center, where the floor was open. You tensed, anticipating a jump of joy, until at the last minute, one of their players dove and hit the ball back into the air. Your heart dropped as you realized the team was setting up an attack for their number one. You watched as he jumped into the air, almost in slow motion, and sent the ball back to Karasuno. Like every time before, the ball broke through the block and flew towards the ground. Right where Nishinoya was.</p><p>You held your breath as you focused on him crouched, ready to go, a fierce look of determination on his face. As the ball connected with his outstretched arms, you expected it to go flying off to the side and into the crowd. Instead, it arced into the air perfectly, straight into Kageyama’s waiting fingertips. The power of the receive sent Nishinoya flying back and he landed on his butt with an astonished look on his face, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he had just done. You were too busy gaping at the libero to even notice Tsukishima spike the ball, scoring Karasuno another point.</p><p>Your heart soared with pride as the crowd around you erupted into cheers. The players on the sideline hollered with excitement, jumping up and down.</p><p>“YEAH, NISHI!” You screamed, jumping up and down like a lunatic.</p><p>Upon hearing the nickname that only you used, he looked up to the stands. When his eyes met yours, he stood there for a moment looking dumbstruck. You grinned and tugged at the jersey you were wearing, hoping that after all the hard work you put in to get it, he would notice.</p><p>A switch seemed to flip in his head, and you watched as his face completely lit up and his look of confusion morphed into a look of utter excitement. He jumped up and down while pointing at you, and even from the stands you could see him mouthing “My jersey! That’s my jersey!” </p><p>Tanaka followed Nishinoya’s gaze, curious to see what had got his friend so excited. His eyes widened when he saw you, and what you were wearing, and he threw his arms up with a pout. </p><p>“What about me?” You saw him exclaim. You just shrugged your shoulders and gave him a wink before turning your attention back to the excited libero. He had returned to his spot on the court, a fresh look of determination on his face. And you couldn’t help but notice the stupid grin that graced his lips and made your entire stomach do a backflip. </p><p><em> Yup </em> , you decided. <em> Being late was definitely worth seeing that look on his face. </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Excitement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>No worries, Big Sis Saeko is here to help you with all of your boy problem needs!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>You were still staring at the court with a dumb smile on your face when Saeko elbowed you, wiggling her eyebrows. “I think you just made shorty’s whole life.”</p><p>You just bit your lip, trying to hold back the smile, and shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. He didn’t die though, so I’ll have to yell at him later for false advertising.”</p><p>“Or.. you could run into his arms after they win, give him a big ol’ kiss, and finally confess your feelings for him? Just an idea.”</p><p>You coughed, trying to mask your surprise. “W-what?”</p><p>“Oh come on. You did not go through the trouble of retrieving the shrimp’s extra jersey to wear today, ultimately fulfilling what he has told you repeatedly is his biggest fantasy, to only like him as a friend.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Yachi piped up, surprising you because you didn’t know she was even listening, “and I’m almost positive he feels the same way. I knew your name, your hobbies, and your favorite food before I even met you. Once, during practice, Kageyama purposefully spiked a ball to the back of his head to get him to shut up. He was going on and on about how you had crushed him that weekend in a video game. I’ve never seen someone get so excited about losing.”</p><p>Your breath hitched, not believing what you were hearing. “But.. Kiyoko?” You asked quietly. He was always going on about how beautiful she was, and constantly trying to get her to notice him. Yachi laughed and waved her hand through the air.</p><p>“Please. For every time Nishinoya has talked about her, he’s talked about you twice as much. Besides, he and Tanaka know she would never go for them which just makes it a game. And she never shuts it down because as long as they’re there to strike down any man who even looks in her direction, she doesn’t have to bother with it herself. Pretty genius, if you ask me.”</p><p>They both returned to the game, leaving you to your thoughts.</p><p>
  <em>Could he really like me..? He’s never made any moves, and for how upfront and bold as he is, he surely would have tried something by now..</em>
</p><p>You sighed, trying to shake the thoughts away so you could focus on the game before you. However, you couldn’t get the hypothetical scene of you running into Nishinoya’s arms to stop pestering you.</p><p>After Tsukishima does the impossible and incredibly blocks one of number one’s attacks, there’s a renewed energy and sense of determination in Karasuno. If they can do it once, then they can do it again. They take two more sets, with Shiratorizawa taking the one in between. All they needed to do was win the last set, and then the game was theirs.</p><p>Unfortunately, by the middle of the final set, you could tell that they were really struggling to keep it together. It was completely understandable, as playing that many rounds of intense volleyball back to back had to be exhausting. Throw in the frustration of not being able to get more than one point ahead, and they were quickly losing steam.</p><p>This exhaustion became extra clear when Karasuno only needed one more point to win the set, but when the ball came sailing towards Hinata, he seemed frozen to the spot, as if his legs weren’t working. Everyone watched as the ball hit the floor, putting Shiratorizawa even with Karasuno.</p><p>“I don’t know how much longer they can keep this up,” Yachi squeaked out next to you. She was holding her hands up to her mouth, furiously biting at her fingernails. You nodded, sighing.</p><p>“They’re exhausted. And now that overpowered robot is at the front, meaning he’s probably going to attack again. I don’t know if they have the energy to stop him anymore.”</p><p>Your stomach was bunched in knots, and you felt like you were going to throw up. You wanted them to win so badly. You didn’t think you would be able to handle seeing Nishinoya so brokenhearted. He was always a ball of joy and happiness. That was why you loved him so much.</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what? That’s a strong word. That’s a very strong word. I don’t know if-</em>
</p><p>Your train of thought was cut off by both Saeko and Yachi, who each grabbed one of your hands and squeezed so tightly you thought they might break. Your focus returning to the game, you gasped as you saw the ball heading straight for Daichi. But he wasn’t moving. He stood frozen, his face contorted in a pained grimace. He couldn’t move, you realized. His legs wouldn’t move. The ball continued falling.</p><p>That was it. Shiratorizawa would get this point, putting them ahead. Then they would score another and win. As much as you loved your team, you weren’t sure they would be able to come back if they fell behind again.</p><p>Right as you braced yourself for the ball to hit the ground, there was a flash of orange and a roar from the crowd. Nishinoya dove at the last second, his arm connecting with the ball and sending it up into the air, keeping it in play.</p><p>“YES NISHI, KEEP KICKING ASS!” You shouted, squeezing the girls’ hands that were still in your grasp. However, your excitement was cut short and replaced with absolute terror as you watched in horror as the overpowered robot, as you had lovingly deemed Shiratorizawa’s number one, immediately jumped and hit the ball back down with as much force as he could manage.</p><p>Time completely stopped as you watched the ball fly straight towards an unprepared Nishinoya, who had just managed to get back on his feet from his previous save. He barely had time to react as the ball slammed into him with full force. The entire gym seemed to gasp at the same time, watching as the libero twisted in the air before he fell back and hit the ground.</p><p>“NISHINOYA!” You screamed, though this time it was not out of excitement. Your body filled with dread as you lurched forward. Yachi and Saeko had to grab you to keep you from falling over the railing. You couldn’t see anything as you blinked back the tears that filled your eyes. The worst case scenarios were running wild through your brain.</p><p>
  <em>He just took a spike right to the face from one of the most powerful aces in the country, there’s no way he’s going to just walk away unscathed from that. What if he broke his nose? Or what if he got a concussion? He’d be out for the rest of the season, so even if they win this, he likely wouldn’t be able to play during Nationals oh my god he’s going to be so upset I need him to be okay I need him to be okay I need</em>
</p><p>“Hey, your loverboy is just fine! Look,” Saeko pointed, causing you to quickly wipe at your eyes so your vision would clear. You looked down at the court and breathed a sigh of relief as you saw your best friend standing up, bouncing up and down and yelling with excitement. Apparently while you were planning his funeral in your head, Asahi had managed to score a point with the ball after it hit Nishinoya. An unconventional way to score, but it was still a point nonetheless.</p><p>Nishinoya’s head turned, his eyes searching the crowd. Once they found your face, his smile faltered a bit as he noticed the tears that were still rolling down your face. You shook your head, laughing with disbelief.</p><p>“I can’t believe you!” You shouted at him, not caring if your voice got lost in the sea of cheers. He seemed to understand, because his grin widened so much he started to look like that creepy cat from Alice in Wonderland.</p><p>“All for you,” he shouted back. You couldn’t hear him, but as you read his lips, your heart fluttered. He drew a heart in the air, then pointed at you, winking. You stood there like an idiot, red faced and open mouthed. He laughed, then turned back to his team. You watched with a smile as he said something to the boys surrounding him, a look of pure determination on his face. It looked like he was giving them a pep talk of some kind, and when he stopped talking, all of the guys shouted “Yeah!” and threw their fists in the air.</p><p>You weren’t sure if Nishinoya’s pep talk was what pushed the team through the last grueling minutes of the game, but as you watched the ball soar through the air one last time, headed for a section of Shiratorizawa’s court that was left unguarded, you told yourself that it definitely hadn’t hurt. And even though it was Hinata that had sent the ball flying, scoring Karasuno what would be the winning point, you were only thinking of Nishinoya and how amazing he was.</p><p>
  <em>Thump. Thump. Thump.</em>
</p><p>The gym was dead silent as the ball landed on the court after bouncing off of the arm of a player that had dove in a last ditch effort to save it.</p><p>Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Every eye was on the ball that was currently rolling down the court. Both teams stood frozen, not daring to move a muscle.</p><p>The silence was broken by the shrill sound of the whistle, one short blow and one long blow, signaling the end of the game. That seemed to break whatever spell that had captivated the audience, and the stands (well, Karasuno’s side, at least) erupted so violently you could swear the ground was shaking.</p><p>“THAT’S MY BROTHER! THAT’S MY BROTHER!”</p><p>“I LOVE YOU RYUU!”</p><p>“YEAH, YOU GUYS DID IT!”</p><p>Daichi was the first of the players to come to life as he stumbled towards Asahi. He collapsed into the tall player, sobs wracking his entire body. Sugawara followed close behind, and the three of them fell to the floor, holding each other tight as they cried.</p><p>Your entire body was bursting with pride as you watched the team below with tears once again rolling down your face. Thankfully, they were happy tears this time. Before you could even find the player you were looking for, you were pulled into Saeko’s chest in a bone-crushing hug.</p><p>“THEY DID IT! THEY ACTUALLY DID IT!” She screamed, jumping up and down. You struggled to breathe as you were yanked around with her despite your efforts to free yourself from her grasp. Luckily, she dropped you eventually so that she could make Yachi her next victim. You laughed at the look of pure terror on the younger girl’s face.</p><p>Turning back to the court, you immediately spotted Nishinoya’s orange jersey and found the libero in the middle of a body-pile, with Tsukishimia unfortunately being crushed at the bottom. You watched, your cheeks hurting from how much you were smiling. You still couldn’t believe it. They were headed to Nationals.</p><p>Eventually the boys stood up, still visibly shaking from excitement. Kageyama yelled something, causing the team to start walking towards the net. Your eyes followed Nishinoya as he walked over to Hinata, who looked dangerously close to collapsing. He grabbed one of Hinata’s hands, Kageyama grabbed the other, and together they pulled him into the line that the team had formed. Facing Shiratorizawa, who were also lined up on their side of the court, they bowed deeply.</p><p>“Thank you very much!”</p><p>After shaking hands at the net with the other team, they turned and walked over to Shiratorizawa’s coaches, who looked less than amused. “Thank you very much!”</p><p>Finally, they walked back to the stands, facing the fans who were still cheering with everything they had.</p><p>“Thank you for all your support!” Daichi shouted. Together, the team bowed.</p><p>“Thank you very much!”</p><p>Straightening up, they stood for a moment and just looked at their adoring fans, a look of astonishment still written clearly on their faces. Next to you, Saeko was still jumping up and down, shouting about how much she loved her brother. On the other side of you, Yachi was just straight up bawling, clapping her hands together slowly.</p><p>Once again, Nishinoya’s eyes scanned the crowd until he found yours. The look of pure happiness on his face and the excitement (and something else that you couldn’t quite decipher) that you saw in his eyes set your body on fire and the butterflies in your stomach suddenly burst to life. You were filled with so much adoration and emotion that you couldn’t even hold back the sob that came out of your mouth. The next thing you knew, you were no better off than Yachi.</p><p>You couldn’t find any words, but in a moment of boldness, you brought a shaky hand up to your lips and blew Nishinoya a kiss. His eyes widened and without any hesitation he reached out and grabbed it, pretending to put it in his pocket. You laughed again, wiping away at the tears that were making your lips salty. You swore your heart was going to completely burst out of your chest.</p><p>“I can’t believe they did it,” Saeko said again, watching as the team walked towards the edge of the gym to group up. Yachi had already scrambled out of the stands, rushing to meet up with them before the awards ceremony began. Saeko shook her head, laughing to herself. Suddenly, she turned to face you with a mischievous glint in her eyes.</p><p>“Your appearance definitely seemed to have an effect on our little Noya,” she grinned.</p><p>“I-I don’t think my appearance did anything,” you defended, your cheeks turning pink. Saeko frowned.</p><p>“Bull. Shit. You should have seen how frustrated he was during the first set. He barely had any success receiving the ball. Sure, the other team’s number one was insanely good but it was almost like something else was bothering him,” she hummed, giving you a pointed look. “But then you show up and it’s like someone lit a fire under his tiny ass.”</p><p>You shook your head, still not wanting to hear what she was saying. “Noya’s always been good at keeping his personal life out of his volleyball performance. I know he can be really short-tempered and impulsive, but he takes volleyball seriously. Nothing can distract him when he gets in the zone. He wouldn’t have let my absence get to him.”</p><p>“AHA!” She pointed at you as if she were accusing you of something. “So you aren’t denying that it would bother him, though! Also,” she grimaced, “Your nickname for him is Nishi? That’s disgustingly adorable.” She stuck a finger in her mouth, pretending to gag. You slapped her arm playfully, but you couldn’t contain the giggle that escaped your mouth.</p><p>“See?” She exclaimed, putting her hands on your shoulders. “Even thinking about him makes you giggle like a little schoolgirl. You like him!” She sang the last part, shaking you back and forth.</p><p>“If I admit that you’re right will you please stop shaking me? I think I might vomit.”</p><p>“YES!” She threw a fist up in the air. “I knew it! How are you planning to confess? Please tell me you’re going to take my advice and run lovingly into his arms. He could pick you up, spin you around, and then BAM! You plant a big kiss on his lips and the two of you confess your love to each other. Oh my GOD it’s perfect!”</p><p>“That is absolutely, one hundred percent NOT happening.” You ignored the glare she gave you, continuing. “Nishi and I are best friends, and sure I may have a crush on him, but I don’t want to put our friendship at risk.”</p><p>Saeko rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. Ever since he saw you in his jersey, I could practically see him thinking of all of the ways he wanted to take it off of you. I'd bet big money that he wants more than a friendship with you as well.”</p><p>You choked on your breath and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth before she could keep going. Unfortunately for you though, the damage was done and now your mind was reeling with all of the possible scenarios of him taking the jersey off of you. The images made your stomach twist, exciting a part of you that definitely did not need to be excited right now. You could feel her smiling under your hand, knowing exactly what she had done.</p><p>You huffed and pulled your hand away. “The awards ceremony is starting,” you grumbled.</p><p>Again, your heart swelled as you watched the team receive their much deserved awards. Sugawara was beaming as he proudly held a trophy bigger than his head and the rest of the team grinned as they showed off the medals around their necks. You made sure to cheer extra loud for them, and you didn’t stop until they were almost out of the gym. Once they were out, you and Saeko headed for the lobby to congratulate them quickly before they boarded their bus.</p><p>You didn’t have to wait long before you heard the obnoxious voice of Tanaka echo throughout lobby.</p><p>“Next stop: Nationals! Yeah boyyyyy!”</p><p>“Uh, guys? I seriously think I might need someone to carry me. My legs don’t want to cooperate anym- ahh!”</p><p>“Hinata, if you’re going to fall over could you please do it in the other direction?”</p><p>You smiled as the familiar faces came into view, though you were mildly concerned for the small ginger. He had fallen down and it didn’t seem like he was going to be able to get up. And by the way Tsukishima was glaring at him, you didn't think he'd be much help. Eventually, a very annoyed Kageyama yanked his arm and pulled him up.</p><p>“Honestly Hinata, you look like such a dumbass,” he grumbled. Hinata opened his mouth to say something, but there was a flash of orange and the next thing you knew, both Hinata and Kageyama were on their butts, blinking stupidly. You started to run over to offer assistance, but you didn’t make it one step before something crashed into you suddenly, completely sweeping you off your feet. You had no idea what was happening as you spun through the air, unable to find your voice.</p><p>The sound of a familiar laugh filled your ears, and suddenly your confusion and fear were replaced with excitement, the butterflies in your stomach returning with a vengeance.</p><p>You were set down gently, but the boy didn’t remove his arms from their place around your neck as he bounced up and down rapidly.</p><p>“Icantbelieveyoucameandicanttbelieveyourewearingmyjerseyohmygod-”</p><p>“Hey, slow down! I can’t understand a single thing you’re saying!” You giggled, smiling fondly at the excited boy in front of you. His face was completely lit up with joy and his cheeks were flushed pink.</p><p>Nishinoya shook his head, gasping to catch his breath. “I can’t believe.. My jersey.. I mean.. How…” He didn’t even finish the sentence before he pulled you into a tight hug.</p><p>“You have no idea how happy it made me to see you cheering me on.. Seeing you in my jersey,” he muttered into your neck, his voice sounding oddly husky. Your skin tingled as his warm breath tickled your ear and your heart skipped a beat as you realized you would certainly not mind feeling that sensation every day for the rest of your life.</p><p>You just squeezed him in return, but loosened your grip when you realized that his shoulders were shaking and there was a feeling of something wet on your shoulder.</p><p>“Nishi, are you.. Are you crying?” You asked gently, pulling your face back. You felt him nod into your shoulders.</p><p>“‘M sorry,” he mumbled. “I started and I don’t know why I can’t stop.”</p><p>“Hey,” you said softly, bringing your hand up to run your fingers gently through his hair. "It's okay."</p><p>You tried your best to not grimace at all of the sweat you could feel coating your hand and instead chose to focus on the fact that he was holding you so tightly to him.</p><p>Slowly, he lifted his head off of your shoulder and met your gaze. You fought the very strong urge to bring a hand to his face and wipe away the tears that were tumbling slowly down his cheeks and over his soft, perfectly shaped lips.. How easy it would be to just lean in and-</p><p>Stop!!!</p><p>You cleared your throat, trying to bring yourself back to reality. “You’re allowed to cry as much as you want. You’re going to Nationals!” You exclaimed, gently shaking him. “I’m so proud of you,” you smiled, pulling him into another hug. This time though, he was quick to pull away. You barely had time to feel disappointed about his sudden absence before he grabbed your hands in his.</p><p>“Celebrate with me? Tonight?” He asked, a hopeful look on his face.</p><p><em>He just won the game that’s going to send him to Nationals, and he wants to celebrate with me?</em> You couldn’t believe it.</p><p>“B-but, what about your team?” You glanced over at the other boys who were still standing and waiting for the bus (well, most were still standing. Hinata was currently face down on the floor, hopefully not dead).</p><p>“Well, coach is treating us to dinner but after that I’m going home. Please come hang out with me,” he squeezed your hands for emphasis. Your brain seemed to stop working, focusing only on the fact that he was holding your hands, almost begging you to spend time with him. Which was ridiculous, because the only reason you hadn’t immediately said yes is because you were worried about his well being.</p><p>“But you must be exhausted, are you sure you don’t want to just go to sleep?”</p><p>Nishinoya immediately shook his head. “Physically? Yes, I’m questioning whether my legs will even work tomorrow. But mentally? I’m so excited that I know I won’t be able to sleep tonight. And what better way to spend my time than with you? We can watch a movie and eat junk food!” He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.</p><p>You melted, knowing there was absolutely no way you’d be able to turn him down. And you still couldn’t get over the fact that he wanted to celebrate with you. Truthfully, you wanted to jump up and down and scream as loud as you had when Karasuno had won the game. But instead you simply nodded your head, grinning at him.</p><p>“Of course. I would be honored to spend the night with a champion." The words were out of your mouth before you even realized what you said. You immediately blushed, your eyes widening so much you could definitely plate a large dinner on them. "I- That's not - that didn't-"</p><p>Nishinoya grinned, an unfamiliar look flashing across his face. "I mean, if that's the direction you're wanting tonight to go, all you have to do is ask and-"</p><p>"Oh, shut up!" You squeaked, interrupting him. "Just text me when you’re ready, and I’ll be there." You diverted your gaze, afraid that if he looked at you for too long he'd see that even though you didn't mean to say what you did, you certainly would not be opposed.</p><p>“Alright boys! The bus is here, let’s load up!” Daichi called out from the front door, motioning for the boys to follow him. There was a chorus of moans and groans as the boys shuffled towards the exit, the soreness definitely settling in their legs.</p><p>You returned your gaze to Nishinoya, who nodded at you, his eyes dark and unreadable. Giving your hands one last squeeze, he dropped them and followed his teammates.</p><p>“Uh, guys?” Hinata squeaked from his place on the floor. “Could I get a little help?”</p><p>Nishinoya stopped right next to him and put his hand to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “Oh man, if only you had a kind, funny, and extremely handsome Senpai to help you..”</p><p>Hinata groaned. “Nishinoya-senpai, would you please help me?”</p><p>Nishinoya’s face lit up and he quickly bent down to pull Hinata to his feet. “Of course, my dear kouhai!” </p><p>You grinned as you watched them stumble off together, disappearing into the bus. You were still staring when Saeko popped up next to you, jabbing her elbow in your ribs.</p><p>“You ready to go? Or are you going to stand here and drool over shorty some more?”</p><p>Your face warmed as you turned to face her. She held up a hand, cutting off whatever you were about to say.</p><p>“Can it, sweetie. I saw the whole thing,” she crossed her arms as her lips pulled up into a smug smile. “Even though there was no kiss, there’s not a doubt in my mind the two of you care for each other.” You didn’t even try to hold back the smile anymore.</p><p>“He asked me to celebrate with him tonight.”</p><p>Saeko’s eyes widened. “Celebrate? Or celebrate?” She asked, using a suggestive tone for the last word. You immediately shook your head violently, your face burning.</p><p>“N-no! I’m just going over to his house to watch a movie,” you insisted. Saeko pursed her lips and gave you a disbelieving look. “Uh huh.. ‘Watch a movie’”, she wiggled her fingers in the air, pretending to quote. “That’s an interesting way to say have se-”</p><p>“Will you stop !” You exclaimed, hiding your face in your hands. You were positive you looked like a tomato at this point, and your entire body was burning. “It’s not like that.”</p><p>“If you say so,” she hummed, clearly not believing you still. Thankfully though, she didn’t say anything else as the two of you walked to her car.</p><p>The entire car ride back, you stared out the window as Saeko sang along horribly to the songs blasting through the radio. You laughed and tried to sing along with her, but your brain kept going back to the same thoughts.</p><p>
  <em>“But then you show up and it’s like someone lit a fire under his tiny ass.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Puh-lease. Ever since he saw you in his jersey, I could practically see him thinking of all of the ways he wanted to take it off of you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You have no idea how happy it made me to see you cheering me on.. Seeing you in my jersey.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I mean, if that's the direction you're wanting tonight to go, all you have to do is ask.."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Celebrate? Or <strong>celebrate</strong>?”</em>
</p><p>No matter how much you tried to make it stop, the thoughts wouldn’t go away. And they made you feel.. Excited. The butterflies stayed in your stomach, but there was something else too. Something deeper.</p><p>You took a deep breath, trying to contain the blush threatening to take over your face. You were nervous for later to come.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahh, thank you guys for the support so far! I really hope you like this because I'm having so much fun writing it!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Later</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>:)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>It took you entirely too long to get ready that night. You were second-guessing every decision you made for absolutely no reason.</p><p>
  <em> No, this shirt makes me look like a piece of cardboard.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Okay, now this one makes me look like a potato sack. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Are these shorts too short? Shit, it’s cold out. Shorts are a no-go.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Leggings? Or sweatpants?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Should I wear perfume or is that too much?  </em>
</p><p>You were so on edge that when your phone vibrated in your hand, you almost threw it across the room. </p><p>
  <b>Nishi: </b>
</p><p>
  <em> Ready whenever u are! Just come in, the door will be open!  </em>
</p><p>A fresh wave of nervousness flooded through you after reading his text, causing your heart to race. </p><p>
  <em> This is so stupid, it’s not like he and I have never hung out before! We’ve hung out alone plenty of times. This is nothing different.  </em>
</p><p>But you knew it was different. Earlier that day you had admitted your feelings for your friend to Saeko, and putting those feelings out into the universe was a lot different than keeping them to yourself. It was as if as long as the thoughts stayed in your head, they couldn’t hurt you. But the moment you spoke them out loud you breathed life into them, giving them power over you. </p><p>Part of you wanted to just cancel your plans all together and spend the night piled under the blankets while you questioned why you couldn’t have been born an emotionless robot instead (<em> maybe I could ask Tsukishimia how he does it? </em>), but Nishinoya’s excited face danced around in your head and you knew that you would never give up the chance to hang out with him. </p><p>Finally deciding on an old athletic shirt and leggings, you ran downstairs and threw on a jacket. You were halfway out the door when you remembered that you forgot the most important thing. Running back into the house and to the kitchen, you opened the freezer and grabbed the box of soda flavored Garigari-kun that you had bought from the store earlier. You fought off the blush as you placed the box in a bag and headed out the door a second time. </p><p>
  <em> He said he wanted snacks, so it’s not weird that I’m bringing some.. It just so happens that what I chose is his absolute favorite snack. Coincidence!  </em>
</p><p>It was not, in fact, a coincidence. You knew exactly what you were doing but you’d never admit that you specifically bought Nishinoya’s favorite snack because you wanted nothing more than to see him smile as brilliantly as he had earlier. And the only thing that could get him that excited, aside from volleyball, was food. </p><p>Before you knew it, you were bursting through the door to Nishinoya’s house. </p><p>“Helloooo!” You sang, closing the door and taking off your shoes and hanging your jacket up. You waited a few moments, expecting your friend to come greet you, but there was no response. “Anyone home?” You walked into the living room, but frowned when you saw it was empty. </p><p>“Hey, you’re finally here!” Nishinoya appeared, popping out of the kitchen behind you. You jumped, surprised by his sudden voice, and turned to yell at him for scaring you. When you faced him, however, his appearance made you stop short and the words you were going to say got stuck in your throat. </p><p>You had never denied that your friend was attractive, not in all the time you had known him. It was simply a fact. Sure, he was on the shorter side, but he was well built from years of training, had a dazzling smile, kind eyes, and just an overall handsome face. But tonight, there was something different about him. Something that left you breathless. </p><p>“What? Do I have something on my face?” Nishinoya frowned, scrubbing his cheeks with his hands and then pulling them back to inspect them. You shook your head, still trying to find your voice. </p><p>You realized then that despite all of the times you’d hung out with him, you’ve never seen him with his hair ungelled. Every time you were with him, whether it was at school, his house or yours, his hair was always styled into his infamous spikes. But now, as he stood in front of you, his slightly disheveled hair laid flat against his head, allowing his bangs to tumble down his forehead and frame his face in a way that you thought was <em> very </em> flattering. </p><p>“Uh.. your hair,” you finally said. “It looks different.”</p><p>“Oh!” Nishinoya’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I just got out of the shower and didn’t bother with the gel. Sorry if it looks… weird, or something.” </p><p>You shook your head, hoping he didn’t notice the pink dusting your cheeks. “No. It uh.. It actually looks really good like that.” </p><p>“Really?” Now it was his turn to blush, and you couldn’t help but think about how adorable he looked. </p><p>
  <em> Okay, this has got to stop. If you can’t spend time with him without acting like a lovesick puppy, he’s definitely going to know something is up. </em>
</p><p>“Definitely takes a few inches off your height though,” you giggled. Hopefully a well placed joke would clear whatever weirdness had settled in the air between you two.</p><p>The shy smile on Nishinoya’s face was immediately replaced by a defensive scowl. “Oh yeah? Well even so, I’m still taller than you, pipsqueak!” </p><p>You brushed your hand over his shoulder as you walked past him and into the kitchen. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, pal.” </p><p>You were surprised to find that the kitchen counter was already crowded with different snacks, and the table set with two plates, each with their own generous helping of noodles. You couldn’t keep the surprise off your face as you turned to Nishinoya.</p><p>“Did you.. cook?” Cooking was an adventure that Nishinoya actively avoided, though he still insisted that it had <em> nothing </em> to do with the fact that he once burned a dish of fried rice so badly the entire pan had to be thrown out.</p><p>
  <em> “Well, I guess it’s definitely fried rice now!” He had said jokingly to his mother, who was about ready to smack him over the head with the very pan he had destroyed.  </em>
</p><p>Nishinoya gave you a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “Listen, I can’t guarantee it’s going to be good.. or even edible. But I wanted to try!” The look of pure determination on his face, and the fact that he had attempted to cook for you, melted your heart. Even if it might give you food poisoning later. </p><p>“Well,” you held up the bag containing the box of soda Garigari-kun. “I brought dessert at least.” </p><p>Nishinoya gasped, jumping up and down. “Is that what I think it is?” But he didn’t let you answer before he ripped the bag out of your hand and discarded it on the floor, holding the box of popsicles above his head as if it were the greatest treasure in the world. </p><p>“You do love me!” He exclaimed, still bouncing with excitement. You froze, but only for a second, before sitting down at the table. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Now put them in the freezer before they melt!” </p><p>Dinner was, surprisingly, pretty good. You were hesitant to take the first bite, and Nishinoya was positive you were lying to him when you told him it was actually edible, but you both cleared your plates nonetheless. And for a while, you were able to push back the intrusive thoughts about how good Nishinoya looked at the moment and how deep your feelings for the libero actually went. Everything felt normal, and you were even starting to think that you’d be able to get through the night without anything weird happening. </p><p>Unfortunately, that peace of mind did not last long. </p><p>The two of you were cleaning up after finishing dinner, with Nishinoya washing the dishes and you drying and putting them away. He handed you a large pot that you knew was stored in one of the cabinets underneath the countertop, so obviously you had to bend down to put it away. </p><p>As you bent down, you heard a low chuckle from Nishinoya. “Well damn, okay then. It’s not my birthday, but thanks for the cake anyways.” </p><p>“What?” You stood up and turned slowly, clearly not understanding what he had just said. “Thanks for the ca-” </p><p>Nishinoya couldn’t hold back the laughter as he watched the lightbulb go off in your head. You gasped, immediately turning red. </p><p>“Oh my god! You are-” </p><p>“I’m just saying!” He held up his hands, dropping the detachable faucet sprayer he was using to rinse the dishes. </p><p>“Why are you looking at my ass anyways?” </p><p>“Well I mean, it was right there-”</p><p>“I am going to KILL YOU!” You fumed. With a towel in your hand, you wound it up in preparation to smack him with it. He immediately figured out what you were about to do, so to defend himself he snatched the faucet sprayer back out of the sink and held it towards you. </p><p>“Don’t,” was all he said. You raised your eyebrows at him, scoffing.</p><p>“Don’t? You were looking at my butt, the <em> least </em> you deserve is a good towel smack.” </p><p>“It’s not my fault you have a nice ass!”</p><p>You froze, not believing what just came out of his mouth. A shiver ran down your spine and slowly your entire body started to tingle.</p><p>
  <em> Okay, there is definitely a line between things just friends say to each other and things.. not just friends say to each other. He just told me I have a nice ass. I feel like that definitely falls in the “not just friends” category. What does this mean?  </em>
</p><p>The smug look on Nishinoya’s face infuriated you though, regardless of how good his compliment made you feel. You weighed your options, decided it was worth it, and lunged towards him, releasing the towel. </p><p>At that same moment, he pushed down on the faucet sprayer and sent water flying towards you full blast. You kept pushing forward, despite feeling yourself slowly getting drenched, determined to get a hit in. When you got close enough, you grabbed the hand holding the sprayer and tried to pull his fingers away from it, but his grip was firm, unfortunately. He then grabbed your hand, the one that was holding the towel, and held it away so he was out of reach. </p><p>“OKAY! Okay, truce! I call a truce!” Your face, hair, shirt, and the upper half of your leggings were completely soaked and you had decided you weren’t winning this battle. You were prideful, but you knew when you were beat. </p><p>“Mm, I’ll consider accepting your truce when you tell me how <em> amazing </em> I am.” At the very least, he stopped spraying water at you. He didn’t let you out of his grip though. </p><p>You opened your mouth to argue, but were cut off by a small squirt to the face. A warning. The devilish look in Nishinoya’s made your legs feel weak.</p><p>
  <em> This is different. This isn’t how we normally are. What’s going on?  </em>
</p><p>You sighed, then gave him your best puppy dog eyes. “Nishi,” you started, using the nickname you knew he liked best. His eyes suddenly got a lot darker, and his smile faltered just a hair. “You are <em> the </em> most amazing libero I’ve ever seen.” You leaned a little closer for dramatic effect, lowering your voice. “And I could easily spend an entire game watching you, and only you.” </p><p>
  <em> No need to tell him that that is what I actually do most of the time.  </em>
</p><p>He stepped back quickly, letting go of you. “Okay, truce accepted.” </p><p>You crossed your arms, a triumphant grin on your face. He looked at you, his face oddly serious and his eyes unreadable. After a moment, he cleared his throat and averted his gaze, looking at the sink instead. </p><p>“Let me get you a change of clothes, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” </p><p>Wordlessly, you followed him as he walked upstairs to his room. </p><p>
  <em> He’s acting different now.. Did I do something wrong?  </em>
</p><p>When you stepped into his room, for the second time that day, you were surprised to see that it had been cleaned. The clothes were all put away, his bed was neatly made, and his desk was organized.. Well, as organized as Nishinoya could be. </p><p>“Here.”</p><p>You barely had time to react as he threw some clothes to you and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Trying to ignore the anxious feeling bubbling in your stomach due to his changed behavior, you quickly changed out of your clothes and into the athletic shirt and shorts he had given you. They fit well, and you laughed to yourself as you realized that there probably weren’t many instances in which someone could fit into his clothes. </p><p>You shivered, still feeling chilled from the water, and decided Nishinoya probably wouldn’t care if you snagged a sweatshirt as well. You walked over to his closet and fished around until you pulled out a cream colored sweatshirt with “Karasuno High School” printed in the top right corner. As you slipped it over your head, you couldn’t help but take a deep breath, smiling as the scent of laundry detergent filled your nose. There was something else too… something specific to the boy the sweater belonged to. Cinnamon, maybe? The scent was like a hug, wrapping you up and making you feel warm and comforted. </p><p>“Hey, you done?” </p><p>Nishinoya’s voice on the other side of the door brought you out of your thoughts, jolting you. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. You can come back in.” </p><p>The door opened, and he walked in. He paused, taking in your appearance, and you watched happily as a blush crept up his cheeks.</p><p>“What? Is there something on my face?” You asked, recalling the very similar situation that had happened when you first saw him with his hair down. </p><p>“I.. I can’t say. Don't want to get assaulted again,” he glared. The seriousness you had seen earlier was gone though, and you could see the playful glint in his eyes. He was back to normal, it seemed. </p><p>You just shrugged, brushing past him. “Well, I do apologize if my ass doesn’t look as good in your shorts.” You cringed, really hoping that had come out as jokingly as you had intended. </p><p>“I refuse to comment.” </p><p>“Smart boy.” Sighing, you plopped yourself down on his bed. “Okay, so what are we watching?” </p><p>“How about an action movie?” He suggested as he turned the television on. You groaned, slapping your hands down on the comforter around you. </p><p>“Please, no. We <em> always </em>watch action movies. How about a comedy?” </p><p>“Fine, but only because you wore my jersey to the game today.” </p><p>You propped yourself up on your elbows, watching as he took some movie out of its case and popped it into the DVD player. “Speaking of that, you didn’t die like you always said you would. That’s false advertisement, and I’d like my money back please.” </p><p>He walked over to the edge of the bed, stopping in front of you. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he smirked playfully. He held his hands up to his throat, crossed his eyes, and stuck his tongue out. And then fell forward.. landing right on top of you. </p><p>“Noya!” You pushed against him, struggling to breathe between his weight pressing into you and the laughter coming out of your mouth. He was heavier than he looked though, and stayed put. </p><p>“Is this better?” </p><p>Your breath hitched as you felt his warm breath against your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. </p><p>“Much. Now maybe I can get some peace and quiet around here.”  You really hoped your voice sounded steady and didn’t give away how nervous you suddenly were. Though you were sure he could probably feel your heartbeat quicken, being so pressed into you. </p><p>He laughed, sending another shiver down your spine.</p><p><em> If he doesn’t stop this, I’m going to go insane, </em> you screamed internally. </p><p>The bed shifted underneath you as he moved to prop himself up so that he was leaning over you. You were finding it hard to breathe again, this time for completely different reasons, as his chocolate eyes bore into yours. “Not a chance.” His voice sounded lower than normal, and the smirk he gave you cleared your mind of any and all intelligent thoughts.</p><p>
  <em> There’s not a lot of space between us. If I just shifted up a bit, my lips could meet his and.. </em>
</p><p>You frowned suddenly, narrowing your eyes. It was easier to see, now that he was leaning over you and the collar of his shirt was dipped down, exposing more of his neck. It wasn’t that bad now, but you had no doubt in your mind the small yellow bruise would develop into something much nastier. </p><p>“Is that from when that insane dude spiked his ball right into you?” You asked softly, reaching a hand up to it. Gently, you placed your hand on his neck and ran your thumb over the bruise. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply. Did that hurt him? </p><p>“Uh.. y-yeah,” his voice sounded forced. “It’s okay though, I’m glad that I was able to stop it, even if it was with my face. Because of that, we were able to score!” </p><p>Your frown deepened, the scene replaying in your head. “I was really scared, ya know.” </p><p>His eyes opened, surprised. “Really? Why?” </p><p>You were so preoccupied with your thoughts that you didn’t even realize you were still gently rubbing his neck with your thumb. “When it hit you, your entire body twisted in the air before you hit the ground. I-I didn’t like seeing that.” </p><p>His eyes softened, and he leaned into your touch ever so slightly. “Is that why you were crying when everyone else was cheering?” </p><p>You blushed, realizing how stupid that sounded. “I thought you were seriously hurt!” </p><p>Nishinoya closed his eyes, and you had to hold back your look of disappointment as he shifted again so he was sitting on the bed next to you. You didn’t realize how much you enjoyed having him so close to you until he was gone. </p><p>“I don’t deserve a friend like you,” he sighed. </p><p><em> Friend. </em> Your stomach dropped, that word cutting through you like a knife. <em> Well, I guess that answers any questions I had about how he really feels about me.  </em></p><p>Trying to not look too disappointed, you sat up next to him and nudged him with your shoulder. “Don’t say that. You deserve that and then some. You played amazing today.” </p><p>He grinned, nodding. “I did, didn’t I?” </p><p>“Karasuno wouldn’t have won if not for you.” His eyes widened, but you cut him off before he could disagree. “I mean it, Nishi. You are not a force to be reckoned with, and watching you play today was exhilarating. I wasn’t lying earlier.. when I said I could easily spend an entire game only focusing on you.” </p><p>“Well, it helped that I had a cute girl in the stands, wearing my number and cheering me on.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you. You laughed. </p><p>“Oh man, I wonder who that could have been?” </p><p>Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the television, reminding you both that there was a movie playing. Both of you seemed to have forgotten all about that. You scooted so your back was to the wall and relaxed, and you watched as Nishinoya slowly moved so that he was laying on his stomach facing the television. You didn’t miss the pained grimace that crossed his face as he moved his legs. </p><p>“You okay? Physically, I mean?” </p><p>“Well,” he sighed. “I may need a wheelchair tomorrow but I think I’ll survive. Five sets against Shiratorizawa should be illegal though, I’m pretty sure it’s considered physical torture.” </p><p>You laughed and patted your lap, nodding towards his legs. “Put ‘em here, I’ll see if I can help you out.” </p><p>He gave you a devilish grin. “Help me out, eh? I can think of a few other ways you co- OW! Okay, fine,” he grumbled, shifting himself again so that he was still laying on his stomach, but his legs were laying across your lap. </p><p>
  <em> I’m just doing this because I’m a good friend. Not at all because I want an excuse to touch him. </em>
</p><p>And so for the next twenty minutes or so, the two of you sat there watching the movie while you massaged his calves and thighs. Well, Nishinoya was watching the movie. You, on the other hand, were finding it very hard to concentrate. You weren’t sure if he realized what he was doing, but each time your fingers kneaded into a particularly sore spot, he’d let out a soft moan. And it was driving you absolutely insane. Each time the sound escaped his lips, your heart beat faster and you had to close your eyes more than a few times to calm yourself down. </p><p>“Hey, your hands have to be getting tired. You can stop whenever,” Nishinoya said, and it was a good thing he didn’t turn around because your face definitely dropped in disappointment. Were your hands cramping? Definitely. Did you want to stop? Absolutely not. </p><p>So, before you could even stop the words from falling out of your mouth, you asked a bold question. “What about your shoulders and arms? They have to be killing you from all that slamming into the ground you did.”</p><p>Now he did look back, that unreadable look on his face again. You groaned inwardly, angry at yourself for asking such a stupid question. He was definitely going to be weirded out by that. </p><p>“Are you sure? I mean, I definitely won’t turn you down, but..” </p><p>You nodded, giving him a smile and hoping it didn’t tell him just how sure you were. He hesitated for a moment, but then sat up and slowly moved so that he was sitting in between your legs, his back to you. You hoped your hands weren’t shaking too noticeably as you put them to his shoulder and started kneading into the muscle. </p><p>The groan that escaped his lips was louder than any of the others and it caught you off guard. You felt his shoulders shake as he laughed. He leaned back, resting his head on your shoulder so he could grin up at you. “Sorry, that was really embarrassing. But that was a good thing, just so you know.” </p><p>You couldn’t find any words, so you just nodded. There was no way he couldn’t see how red your face was, and you just hoped he wouldn’t mention it. Thankfully, he didn’t and moved back to his previous position, allowing you to continue the massage. </p><p>
  <em> This would probably feel better for him if he wasn’t wearing a shirt.. But there’s no way I’m asking him to take it off. There’s no way I could look at him shirtless.  </em>
</p><p>So instead of asking him to remove his shirt, you decided to just slip your hands underneath. The sudden skin-to-skin contact caused him to jump and turn to face you. You pulled your hands out immediately. </p><p>“I-I’m sorry!” Your entire face was burning. “I just thought.. that it might.. be better without.. the shirt..” Oh god, you couldn’t believe the words coming out of your mouth. </p><p>Nishinoya grinned and winked. “If you wanted to get me shirtless, all you had to do was ask babe.” And before you could stop him, the shirt was off and across the room. </p><p>
  <em> This is definitely not happening, oh my god oh my god </em>
</p><p>You just nodded, biting your lip to keep any stupid thoughts, or sounds, from coming out of your mouth. You refused to look him in the eye, or let your eyes wander any lower, which was <em> incredibly </em>hard. You let out a sigh of relief when Nishinoya turned back around, but honestly, seeing his bare back and the defined muscles there and in his arms didn’t make it much easier for you.</p><p>“This is definitely better,” he half said, half groaned. You just kept your eyes glued to the television, but at this point you had no idea what was happening or who any of the characters were. Your mind just kept racing back to thoughts of the shirtless boy sitting between your legs. </p><p>You didn’t realize that Nishinoya had been slowly but steadily leaning into you until his head was resting on your shoulder again and his back was completely pressed up against the front of your body. Your eyes flicked over to his face, and you were surprised to see that he was blushing. </p><p>
  <em> Does he know what he’s doing..? </em>
</p><p>You decided not to say anything because you didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable enough to move back to where he had been. Unfortunately though, this was a very compromising situation for you, as it granted you full viewing access of his body. And as much as you tried to keep your eyes away from it, you stole glances every once in awhile that left you breathless. </p><p>Eventually, since he was so pressed into you, you couldn’t really massage his shoulders anymore and it had just evolved into you running your fingers up and down his arms softly. When you brought your eyes to Nishinoya’s face, intending to ask him if he wanted you to stop, you closed your mouth, letting the question die on your tongue. </p><p>Your lips pulled up into a loving smile as you took in the sleeping boy’s face. His head was leaned back on your shoulder, mouth open slightly, taking deep breaths. You had no idea how you hadn’t realized he was sleeping before, but your heart swelled at the fact that he had been so comfortable with you, in your arms, that he dozed off. You also thought he looked absolutely adorable as he slept, and you stared at him for probably too long before sighing, the negative thoughts coming back. </p><p>
  <em> Well, he must have been exhausted too. I’m sure he would have fallen asleep in Tsukishima’s arms if given the chance.  </em>
</p><p>But you pushed that negative thought out of the way as you gently wrapped your arms around him. Suddenly overcome with a strong desire, you leaned over and placed a small kiss on his forehead. You heart stopped as he shifted, scrunching his nose slightly, as if to scratch an itch. But thankfully, he didn’t wake. You smiled again, your entire body feeling warm and a strong, fuzzy feeling in your chest. You sighed happily as you laid your head on his shoulder. While you had every intention of finishing out the movie, you were so comfortable that it wasn’t long before your eyelids grew heavy and you dozed off as well. </p><p>
  <em> BAM! </em>
</p><p>Both you and Nishinoya jumped with a start, your arms tightening instinctively. Then, you remembered what - or <em> who </em> - you arms had tightened around and you let go immediately. To your delight, Nishinoya only sat up a bit straighter but did not move from between your legs. </p><p>“I’m sorry!”</p><p>“What the hell was that?” His eyes were wide. You laughed, nodding towards the television. </p><p>“I think that was the movie we were supposed to be watching.” </p><p>Nishinoya’s face turned red, and he ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything.”</p><p>You shook your head, a blush creeping up your cheeks as well. “No, it’s okay. I fell asleep too. I was pretty comfy.” Your eyes dropped from his face down to his chest, and you remembered that he was very much shirtless. He followed your gaze, looking down at himself, and seemed to remember the same thing. </p><p>“You know, if you took a picture it would last longer.” </p><p>“Oh my god,” you gasped. Looking around, you quickly grabbed a pillow and went to throw it at his face, hoping to wipe that smug smile off his lips. </p><p>He was quick though - damn those volleyball reflexes - and once again had your wrist in his grip before you could even land a hit. “Don’t get mad at me for pointing out the obvious.” </p><p>You narrowed your eyes at him. “You’re impossible.” </p><p>“Hm, I think you said ‘incredible’ wrong.” He grinned as you rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. He pushed your arm down, forcing you to drop the pillow. To your surprise though, he didn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he slid it down and laced his fingers with yours. </p><p>“Don’t leave,” he almost whispered, suddenly looking very serious again. You frowned, unsure if you heard him right. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Stay here tonight.” </p><p>Your heart started pounding so loudly that you were positive he’d be able to hear it.</p><p>
  <em> He’s asking me to stay the night??  </em>
</p><p>“I- uh.. But..” Nothing coherent would come out of your mouth. What was going on? Why was he asking you to stay the night? </p><p>He shifted his body so that he was in front of you, sitting back on his heels. His hand was still laced with yours, and he brought his free one up to tuck a strand of loose hair behind your ear. </p><p><em> Oh c’mon, that’s the oldest trick in the book, </em> you thought. But to your horror you realized, as he laughed, that you actually said it out loud. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I guess I’ve been watching too many romance movies lately.” His hand dropped to rest gently on your cheek. You raised an eyebrow at him, trying to remain calm as the butterflies in your stomach went wild. </p><p>“You? Watching romance movies? Why?” It was a genuine question. He only liked action movies, so romance seemed completely out of his realm of interest. </p><p>“For research purposes,” he shrugged, like it was the most casual thing in the world. </p><p>“Research purposes?” You squeaked. Your calm mask was starting to crack, revealing how nervous you actually were. Your breath stopped as he leaned in closer, stopping just before his nose bumped up against yours. </p><p>“I’ve been trying to figure out how to sweep you off your feet.” </p><p>“O-oh,” you replied, like the intellectual you were. </p><p>“I wasn’t sure if I should even try,” his voice was low and laced with emotion. “But then I saw you in the stands, wearing <em> my </em> jersey. Cheering for <em> me. </em>.” He gently placed his forehead against yours, untangled the fingers of his other hand from your grip, and brought it up to cup your other cheek. “And when you smiled at me, I felt like the most important person in the entire room. Hell, in the entire world. I knew I had to win. For you.” </p><p>Your mind was racing almost as fast as your heart was as you tried to process what was happening. But you couldn’t think properly with him so close, with his warm breath tickling your skin. </p><p>“And,” he continued, his eyes never leaving yours, “I also knew that I had to do something. Even if you didn’t feel the same way. Because after today.. after tonight.. I knew that if I didn’t tell you, I would regret it.” </p><p>“T-tell me w-what?” </p><p>“That I love you,” he whispered.</p><p>And there it was. A bomb that seemed to make your entire world stop. It felt like Earth itself had stopped spinning, and everything else disappeared until it was just you and Nishinoya. </p><p>“Nishi.” It came out more as a sigh than anything else, but you were really struggling to find your voice. His hands tightened around your face, just enough to let you know that he had heard you. </p><p>Gathering the confidence you needed, you let out a small laugh. “Well if you’ve really been doing research, then you would know that right about now is when you should kiss the girl.”</p><p>His eyes lit up, but you barely had any time to admire the sparkle before his lips were on yours. It was like a wave of electricity moved throughout your entire body, making your toes curl and your fingers grip the fabric of your shorts. You didn’t hesitate for a moment to return the kiss, moving your lips against his hungrily. It certainly wasn’t the dainty and adorable first kiss one often saw in movies, but it was absolutely perfect for you.</p><p>His hands dropped to your waist, and you gasped into his mouth as he pulled you into his lap. You felt him laugh, but you quickly turned that into a small groan as you pushed your hips into his. </p><p>“Easy there, killer,” he mumbled against your lips, his voice definitely sounding huskier than before. You only hummed in response, not wanting to end the kiss so soon. </p><p>Eventually though, you both needed to come up from air. And maybe talk about what exactly that meant. </p><p>“I do too,” you said shyly, playing with your fingers behind his head. He smirked, raising an eyebrow. “What was that?” </p><p>“I love you too, Nishi.” </p><p>Upon hearing that, he sighed happily and placed another, more chaste, kiss on your lips before pulling back and resting his forehead against yours once more. </p><p>“I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth. I’ve wanted it so badly from the moment I met you.” </p><p>Now it was your turn to pull back. “Really?” </p><p>He nodded, grinning. “Uh, duh. Not only are you beautiful, but you just make my life so much better. I genuinely feel like a better person when I’m with you.” </p><p>You blushed, your heart soaring with this confession. You had no idea that he felt this way. </p><p>"And another thing.." he mumbled, much quieter this time, "Your ass looks just as good in my shorts. No, better." </p><p>You gasped, smacking him lightly on the head. "We were having a moment!" </p><p>He grinned, that devilish glint in his eye once more. Before you knew what was happening, Nishinoya leaned back, pulling you down on top of him. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on your jaw. </p><p>You melted, completely giving in to him and whatever he had planned. </p><p>He continued, placing kisses and nipping lightly at the skin, until his lips stopped right next to your ear. Your breath caught as you felt his hands slowly sliding from your waist and down to your butt where they came to a stop.</p><p>"It feels even better than it looks, though." And with that, he squeezed, causing you to squeal loudly.</p><p>Laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world, Nishinoya sat up, wiping tears from his eyes. You scowled up at him. </p><p>"You're evil." </p><p>He grinned, flicking your nose. "Yeah, but you love me." </p><p>"Unfortunately, I do."</p><p>And without warning, you jumped and tackled him, pining him back down to the bed. Needless to say, neither of you got much sleep that night, no matter how tired you were. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'd apologize for it being so long, but I'm not sorry one bit!! This was so much fun to write :) Noya is one of my absolutely favorite characters, and I easily get carried away writing scenes with him (as you can tell). I hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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